Forever
by cairodragon
Summary: Brooklyn's Unknown Romeo. Two Juliets? Romeo has a brother?! Woa something's amiss!


Today was a bad day. They come more and more frequently as I remember more and more of what had really happened that day. At first I thought that I could continue to live out my life in Today, but soon I realized that it wasn't meant to be.  
  
As the days grow shorter I realized that when I was given 'permission' to stay it was most likely a hallucination, which seem to be coming more and more frequently as, my time runs out, like a tortuously slow hour glass that only hastens at the most inconvenient of times.  
  
So here I am writing my troubles (as if that's doing much good). If you wish you may read the account of my travels.  
  
It all started on a relatively normal day in August of when I took refuge as I had many times before in my little retreat, which I'll describe for you. The tall grasses and a meadow separate to form a forest that goes seems to go on forever into the night, for that is when I usually escape to my refuge. It is a sight to see at night especially; the fireflies and stars could almost fool you into thinking that you were a part of the night skies. And sometimes I almost wish that I were.  
  
Beyond that however, is the real sight to see. In a small clearing, probably made by the Indians hundreds of years ago (I've heard that they appreciated nature), there is a waterfall, that during the latter hours of the night almost glows with the reflection of the moon and the fireflies. Behind that is my refuge from the world and its complications: a small ledge behind the cascade of water.  
  
Well, believe it or not that serene location is the beginning of my troubles, seeing as how that is the only way into the 'other world.' Sounds cheesy? Yeah well that's the reality I live with and when reality is weirder than your imagination, well then you've got some problems.  
  
Anyways, back to the story. Well on this one particularly bad day I sought out my secret place (that I have yet to actually name) and came to find that it kind of wasn't there, but that wasn't the weirdest part. In fact it wasn't even close because instead of my nice little niche in the middle of nowhere, I found a nice swirly portal thing in its place. So like any normal person I thought in the last two point five seconds of my sanity, "Well that's definitely too much for my small brain to process, I think I'll go home and sleep now." Of course unlike any normal person I couldn't just leave and be done with this insanity; no, that would have been too easy. Curiosity killed the cat: wise words.  
  
Well soon enough I was walking, almost mesmerized, toward the swirly thing, and I realized that it was actually some form of a mirror, which you could only see from an odd sort of angle. Looking at the mirror I saw myself: amazed and kind of scraggly looking in my green hand-me-down sweater from practically the 1400's. As I was staring at the portal I saw my reflection start to move toward me and soon I saw on the other side of myself. Sounds weird? Of course it does. How often does this kind of thing happen to you? Unless I'm sorely mistaken most people don't, in casual conversation say, "Hey guess where I went last weekend? Another world!" Yeah, I know if I had heard that (prior to my little adventure that is) I would have just backed away slowly and then ran for my life (and sanity).  
  
The other side, surprisingly seemed to be exactly the same as the place I had just 'left' and like any other person I was ready to forget the whole little incident with the different world thing had ever happened and get on with my regular blessedly boring life. But apparently fate had other plans.  
  
So as I was walking along the hardly worn path towards my home, I noticed that there were a whole lot more trees that I had remembered, but being me I didn't make much of it and continued onward. Before I tell you what happened, let me tell you about my house. It's a pretty old house, older than me that's for sure, a castle actually with lots of secret stairways and such things, from the another century is my best bet; but anyways I was walking along thinking about the strange hallucination I had that evening when I discovered my house. Only it wasn't my house because it's really old and looks like it's been through hell and high water and well this house was definitely newly built and magnificent.  
  
Peach colored stone walls with verdant ivy strands climbing its way higher and higher were surrounded by a small moat-like structure and the drawbridge, which at my castle/home had never been needed because there was no moat, was down and people were crossing it. Of course I was ready to warn them that it was, in fact, broken, but before I could do so they all started running like no tomorrow when a really loud bell started ringing. Having no idea what was going on, I started running too, figuring that if I was in any danger that I would be able to find help or at least be further away from it. As I ran onto the amazingly stable drawbridge it started to lift and I was thrown onto the ground on the other side and none too gently. After that I continued to run until I saw the crowd once again and stopped and rested against a wall, a ways away from them. So there I am gasping for breath after that horrifying incident when someone yanked at my shirt from behind and pulled me into this alleyway. So you might imagine my surprise at this random stranger 'kidnapping' me and bringing me into this tiny alleyway and my first reaction, which I'm ashamed to say was to elbow him and flip him into the alleyway probably was not the best of my choices.  
  
And while I was doing my little mental victory dance, I heard the heap of a person practically twitching on the floor gasp, "Where did you learn to do that?!"  
  
While I was quite flattered that he was impressed with my technique I was still quite wary of him so I answered cautiously, "My father taught me. Now would you kindly explain why you dragged me all the way over here?"  
  
He answered in a somewhat peculiar manner, "Milady, I knew that your father, whom you claim taught you such a violent manner would sooner see you fall on your face in public or eat with the dogs than in those rags." What he was wearing wasn't all that different from what I had on, but whatever, I can deal.  
  
Ignoring the rest of his comment for the time being I answered intelligently, "What's this 'milady' stuff? Did I miss something? And who are you while we're at it?"  
  
Mildly shocked, but hiding it well, he replied, "I call you milady because you are the Lady Juliet of the Capulet estate, my name is Aiden, and the thing you're missing is dinner with your soon-to-be-husband." He answered, not so subtly implying that I should go to the dining hall. Duh, mentally smacking myself I recalled that dinner was announced with some sort of loud bells, but what was that whole part with the fiancée? And when did my name become Juliet? Clearly there was a serious case of mistaken identity here, but I didn't correct him; what was I going to say? Oh I'm sorry but I'm not this girl named Juliet, in fact I hate that name? I think you're completely deranged and you need to get some help? I doubt that would help.  
  
So maybe you're screaming at me right now because I kind of missed the whole Romeo and Juliet connection clue thing here, but hey, there's only so much you can notice at once before your brain goes on overload. "Ooookay I'll overlook the weird name for now so we can get down to dinner on time, again, I think I hit my head too hard back there, Who is my fiancée???." With that said, I started for the 'kitchen' of my house/castle with Aiden, my newfound 'guide'. That's when I did notice that he was wearing some really expensive clothes, which, from the looks of it were made of silk.  
  
"The dining hall is this way milady," Aiden said, giving me a curious glance and a "Where have you been for the last 15 years of your life?" look. Okay with all the other weird occurrences happening around here I could live with someone moving the dining room, but did he really have to call me milady?  
  
And that's when it hit me. "Duh" one might say, but I had only then figured it out: this was all just a nice, admittedly weird, dream that I would wake up to any minute now. So while I was waiting to wake up I realized that that boy was giving me another weird look. Right, dinner. I figured I might as well go eat and then I started walking toward my room (by now I had realized that I apparently needed to change before eating & plus the whole not knowing where the kitchen thing was kind of embarrassing, seeing as how that's always the first room I seek out in a location).  
  
Just when I had almost given up any hope of him answering my question, much less starting a conversation he said out of the blue, "Your fiancée's name is Paris, I'm surprised your parents haven't told you yet. The wedding is still planned for this Thursday?"  
  
Whoa? This is an arranged marriage? And my parents neglected to tell me? Apparently they left out this small little detail when they sent me off to school this morning with my nice little lunch bag. This Thursday? That's practically tomorrow, in fact it is. Well that's when I thought this can't be a dream: only reality could be this painful.  
  
But this is a mistaken identity crisis going on here, which was the only thought that gave me comfort as I raced to my room. If this was such a crisis then that meant that whomever I was 'playing,' was severely screwed: not me (I'm so self centered sometimes).  
  
One of the few things that had stayed the same was my room (thank God). It was decorated differently, but you could tell it was the same because of the 'trademark' markings on the wall behind the tapestry that said Romeo & Juliet forever in really nice handwriting.  
  
When I had finished changing into my red gown, (a really nice one I might add) I went outside to find Aiden. When I did I had to figure out a way to ask him where the dining hall was without looking like a complete idiot, which is kind of hard considering that he thinks that I'm the lady of this monstrosity.  
  
So after contemplating my options for about 20 minutes, which undoubtedly made me late for dinner, I decided on the easiest way, which was to ask: "Would you please escort your lady to the dining hall?"  
  
He compiled with a funny look (I get a lot of these you'll notice), which gave me the impression that my question hadn't been as cleaverly stated as I had previously thought.  
  
As we made our way towards the dining hall I this pompous, aristocrat guy comes up to me and tries to seduce me. All I can say is, I hope he's not my fiancé because I just told him off.  
  
During this whole exchange, I had almost forgotten about Aiden. If I lost him I'd loose the only person who could help me make sense of this weird place. Thankfully, he was still at my side giving me a weird look (you'd think he'd get sick of it but nope, he's still at it), so I asked him, "Who was that?"  
  
"Romeo, and a Montague." He replied with a bored tone. Yup, here's where I finally got it: I was in Romeo and Juliet or some sort of odd parallel world uncannily like it.  
  
That's when I started running. At first I had no particular location in mind, but soon I found that my feet were taking me back to the place where all this insanity began: the waterfall.  
  
Once again, I ran through the gap in between my universe and this unfamiliar one. This time however, I saw my mirror image running toward me on the other side, only this time she was wearing different clothes and she wore an expression that did not mirror my own. She looked different somehow and when I raised my arm to touch the portal, she didn't.  
  
I took a small step into the space and at the same time my 'reflection' did so. In the gap between worlds I saw that my 'reflection' was not that at all. It/she was a person. My twin maybe?  
  
"Who are you?" I asked, still in somewhat of a trance.  
  
"Juliet. You?" she asked in a similar voice.  
  
"Brooklyn. Are you the one that's engaged? On that side." I gestured toward the side of the gap that I had just come from.  
  
"Yes." I could tell that there was more to her little story than she was telling me by her pained expression.  
  
"There's someone else isn't there?" She nodded. I knew it! I mean sure I knew the story, but I like to think of this as using my intuitive skills. After trading details of our stays in each other's worlds she told me about her 'boyfriend,' Romeo. Scandalous.  
  
"Now what are we going to do about it? I know what we're going to do about it! You and your Romeo could just come and live in my world!" After much convincing and a promise to go back to her world and fix things, I had won her over to my side. I always was good at negotiating.  
  
Soon everything was in place with a deeply confused Romeo (who I learned was the same guy hitting on me before dinner) safely stowed away in my world and a thoroughly lost Aiden (who I learned was Romeo's brother) 'converted' to our side.  
  
That night Aiden and I walked back to our respective houses and began the necessary preparations for the big day ahead.  
  
But we didn't know what was in store for us. 


End file.
